If not SF, what are the top ten best American cities for families?

Published 2:05 pm, Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The monuments of Washington are silhouetted in the haze and high humidity as steamy weather blankets the nation's capitol, as viewed from Arlington, Va., Friday, June, 2011. From left are the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the Capitol, the Smithsonian Castle, and the Library of Congress.
(J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

The monuments of Washington are silhouetted in the haze and high...

Antonio Allen takes his dog Korbel for a walk along the south shore of Town Lake at noon on Thursday May 14, 1998 in Austin, Texas. The city skyline, usually clear, is obscured by the persistent haze that has characterized the local weather for the past few days due to Mexican fires.
(Larry Kolvoord, AP)

Antonio Allen takes his dog Korbel for a walk along the south...

In this Feb. 22, 2007 file photo, Faneuil Hall, right, is seen at night among the buildings in downtown in Boston. Faneuil Hall is one of the historic sites on Boston's Freedom Trail. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

In this Feb. 22, 2007 file photo, Faneuil Hall, right, is seen at...

St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline
(Avian001, Photo Bucket)

St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline

Des Moines, Iowa skyline at night
(Bmxrcr099, Photo Bucket)

Des Moines, Iowa skyline at night

Clouds roll over a small protest rally at the state Capitol, as seen from a nearby condo building in Madison, Wis., early Thursday evening, June 16, 2011.
(Michael P. King, AP)

Clouds roll over a small protest rally at the state Capitol, as...

The Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon (foreground) at Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa in Waikiki is set to reopen in late Nov 2007 after a major restoration. It now has a boardwalk on the perimeter, an island with waterfall and shallow, clean water, thanks to a new pumping system.

Monday, the Chronicle's Heather Knight published an article on the mass emigration of San Francisco families for other, more family-friendly cities. Commenters were unsurprised, in the main: issues of schools, housing expenses, crime, and general difficulties/stress involved in San Francisco life are all well known to residents here.

So where should a family consider moving? Parenting.com took up this question with a study on U.S. cities and those raising children within them. Their rationale is as follows:

You want the best for your family, and that includes great schools, affordable homes, low crime rates, plenty of jobs, and lots of parkland. So we crunched more than 8,000 bits of data in 84 categories to determine this year's top places to raise kids.Based on their data, the folks at Parenting.com agree: San Francisco is not among the top 10 best cities for parents. It did however place on the top 100, at #63. Perhaps our diverse culture, open spaces, and relatively decent job market have some value to families after all. Only if they can afford it though! Oh, San Francisco. Such a coy mistress!

Among more hospitable cities for kids and their parents are the following cities, the top 10 for 2011 according to Parenting.com's study. Caution, readers: you may be surprised.